Liquid cooler



Nov l, 1949.

C. A. CHILDERS, JR

LIQUID COOLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1945 INVENTOR @QCM BY MGzvv@ ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

NOV l, 949 c. A. CHILDERS, JR y2,486,588

LIQUID COOLER Filed Oct. 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: v lNvENToR ATTORNEYS.

NOV l, 1949- c. A. CHILDERS, JR 2,485,588

` LIQUID COOLER Filed Oct. 26, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORN EYS.

Nov l, i949. c. A. cHlLDERs, .JR

LIQUID COOLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 26, 1945 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES.

Patented Nov. 1, 1949 LIQUID COOLER i'JlemtAfChilders, .Ir., Johnstown; Pa., assignorto a'#The National Radiator fGompany, #'Johnstown, SPa.; acmorporationf-of Maryland .Applicatom'Octoben 26, 1945, `Serial N o.` ,624,688 zwolaims. (01.257-4375 '."The invention"relates.'to' liquid coolers of the type used' for reducing the temperature oflliquids, such as water thatisrreceived from and supplied tothe cooling jacket `vchambers vc` f.interna1 combustion engines, .as for example "Diesel enfgines, 4although the? inventionl may be '.used' for "cooling other vliduidsfsuchl as 'o'ilf and also for condensing'vapors. l

'The' object "of the4` invention, generallyr stated,

is to soim-prove the4 construction ofT suchcoolers of manufacturefre'duced of a f plurality '-ofintegrally 'fcast units-f that are constructed "alike fand WV,which inlay be-v Yvariously arrangedl in' diierentrnumbers'f'icientlyt topaccornplishA tdesird'cooling-urder' the vconditions .of intended` service,` and to provideatcooler vin vwhich the cooling -mediumxw'hi'ch is usually air;v is, enlciently usedl with" low power-requirements The invention is illustrated in theaccompany- The cooler'fcomprisesva pluralityfolike' units l i-iwhich are `positioned1V horizontallymne' on" top of the `otherl to forma.\^ve1-tical-'tier,"there'being,` as

shown in Figs. lvand .2,"sixteen ofsuchunits used to form the coolerhere illustrated, although anyI desirednumber ofithese units may be used. Each unit is anintegral.castingpreferably made of cast iron, "comprising a pair of tubes which -lie lina'zliorizontaltxplane,:rone 1 behind-'the 1other,

and a single header at eachvferdz'ofthe'tubes which communicates fNv-ithvthemfefand with the header or"headers f vertically adjacent units. At onefside of the verticalitier of units thereis zaa `{xbox-like ecasingf 2 which is @connected Lto-fthe rperipheryof the units infv':a.=""l1an-ner` presently to be explainedgandiwithin ytheffcasing thereis a :power-'driven-bmvverw3 vformau'si-ng a current-of cooling air-5to flow horizontally;around"the"J cooling tubes. ofrlthe units.

@The-preferred constructiorrofthe units is illustrated in Figs. 47. .As there shown, each consists of two tubes 5 and 6, both of which are con# nected at one end to a header 1 and at their other end to a like header 8, each headerbeing pro- .2 "vided withj-passages"thatlplace it in "communi- 'cationwithboth tubes. 'Asshownin Fig. 6,* the 'topandbottom exterior' surfaces of 'each tube are# of f' airfoirsection in shape towefe'ct smooth #l5 passage of thefcoolingfair" over `the tubes, `and the topsandpbottomsi-of `each tube are provided #with heatradiating lvanes `@which lie in `vertical planes and preferably *do not-extend beyon'dthe endsof the tube. The vanes,-which-are cast inlO'tegrally withthe'tubes, tare tapered gradually floand '5, are closer to header l by a^distance equal #to one-halfy Aof' the uniform spacing of the vanes f thanA are the endf'vanes to headeri at the right en'dof'theA tube. 'By soy positioning the vaneson the tubes alternate V`units f I `may have Atheir headers 1 at they left -and' `'their-'headers "8^'at the --right -of-"the' tier of units,` asshown ini Fig. i 2, and thefvanes ofeach unit willV be` midwaybetween and overlap thoseof each'adjacent unit. lThis construction and arrangement` 'of heat" radiating `fins .materiallyincreases the eiciency '-of the cooler.

As hasj-beenstated'headers Ipand 8 'are alike. Each is `provided Iwith af central' bore or passage 'l5 `:which affordstopfand bottom openings for `placinglit in communication with headers of ad- 'jacent units;y and ateach of its sides'each. header isprovided'w'ith -afchamber 46y to aordifree communication between; the centralV passage l5 i oftthe headerand thel interiors of* tubes 5 and-"6. i'let'weenthe -top andbottom walls of the headers fitherefare strengthening-posts I1., Adjacentto 2 theends'of the -adj oining tubes the top'and bottom Aof l-each 'header is provided with `vertical f -anges f8' Whose topr -and' bottom ffaces lie sub- 40 `stantiallyV in the planes' ofthe outer" edges ofthe bosses-which form the vcentralopening I throu'gh the header. "These" flanges form4 Vertical wallsL at .thefouter vends of the tubes' to prevent lateral flow 'and `eddying of the `cooling air Lthatfis applied horizontally around the tubes.

` Referring `,now to the assemblage of lunits to `form atierthereofsuch'as shown' in' Figsl and-2, it isfrequently desirable to cause liquid to. flow "througha plurality of units from. one tothe 00 other side of the cooler;V and in a` circuitos path romits 'bottomv to'its top. 4For-this purpose, horizontal partitions are placed between some of the adjacently disposed headers at each side of the cooler, the number and arrangement of such partitions depending upon the number of torn units.

units through which it is desired simultaneously to cause fluid to flow at diierent levels of the headers, In the cooler shown in the drawings the units are arranged in groups of two so that liquid flows simultaneously through alternating pairs of units. The construction and arrangement of partitions to effect this particular flow of water or other liquid will now be explained.

As shown in section at the lower right-hand portion of Fig. 2, an open cylindrical nipple 20 is positioned within the adjacent bores of the headersA of the two lowermost units, which nipple forms a seal against the escape of liquid between the units and a passage for the flow of liquid from the header of the lowest to the header of the next unit. In the bores oi the adjacent headers of the second and third units from the bottom of the cooler there is a like nipple 2| provided with a horizontal partition which closes communication between such units at the right side of the cooler. Thus liquid is caused to flow from right to left simultaneously through the two bot- Like closed or blind nipples are placed between the'headers at the right and left side of the cooler at the places indicated at 2|, the arrangement being such that liquid which enters the cooler at the lower right-hand corner flows simultaneously from right to left through pairs of units from the bottom to the top of the cooler.

At its lower right-hand corner the cooler is provided with an inlet pipe 25 extending from a supply pump, and at its upper right-hand corner is provided with an outlet pipe 28 leading to an engine or to some other instrumentality with which the cooler is used. At their right-hand ends the outer bores of the headers of the top and bottom units are threaded to form such connections, and at their left-hand ends the like headers `o-f the same units are similarly threaded to receive closure plugs 28. The several units which constitute the tier are firmly bound together by rods 29 which extend through the outer corners of the headers, as seen in Fig. 1.

The box-like casing which extends from the rear of the tier of cooling units has a top wall 3U, a bottom wall 3l, side walls 32, and an end wall 34 which is provided with a central opening of the diameter required to receive the blades of blower 3 which are suitably encased in a protecting screen 35. For connecting the casing to the tier of cooling units, each header l and 8 is provided at its top and bottom with vertical flanges 40, Figs. 4 and 5 that extend parallel with the vertical plane of the cooler. The horizontal meeting faces of these flanges are provided with semi-cylindrical grooves 4l that form cylindrical openings adapted to receive the Shanks of bolts 42 (Fig. 8) whose heads are engaged by the flanges 40 of adjacent headers. The end of each side wall 32 of the casing is provided with a lateral ange 50, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, which in turn is provided with openings 5| to receive bolts 42, the casing being rmly connected to the headers by nuts 43 which engage the projecting ends of the bolts. The position of side walls 32 and their lateral anges 50 with relation to flanges 40 is shown in Fig. 4, the connecting bolts 42 being there omitted. The side walls 32 of the casing lie in the vertical plane of flanges l 8 of the headers so that the cooling air supplied by the blower has a smooth uninterrupted path of flow to and around the tubes of the vertical tier of cooling units.

The entire cooler may be connected to and supported by a pair of channels 45 which extend from beneath the tier of icooling units rearwardly beyond casing 2. On the rearwardly projecting ends of these channels there is an A-frame having inclined side members 46 whose lower ends are connected to the upper flanges of the channels, and having a horizontal brace 41 extending between and connected at its ends to the side members 46 for strengthening the frame. On the top of this frame there are bearings 48 for the drive shaft 49 of blower 3, and the frame may also support other instrumentalities for circulating liquid through the cooling units.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle. and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to be the best embodiment of it. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A liquid cooler comprisinga plurality of like horizontally disposed units arranged in a vertical tier, each unit being an integral casting comprising a pair of tubes lying in a horizontal plane and a single header at each end of the tubes having openings at its top and bottom for communicating with adjacent units, the top and bottom of each of said headers -being provided with vertical iianges extending parallel with the plane of the cooler and being provided with grooves that mate .with those ofi-the like flanges inadjacent units,

bolts having heads engaged by said flanges and shanks lying in said grooves, a box-like casing extending rearwardly from a side of said casing and connected to said headers by said bolts, and a blower within said casing.

2. A liquid cooler comprising a plurality of like horizontally disposed units arranged in a vertical tier, each unit being an integral casting comprising a pair of tubes lying in a horizontal plane and a single header at each end of the tubes having openings at its top and bottom for communicating with adjacent units, the top and bottom of each of said headers being provided with Vertical flanges adjacent to the ends of the tubes forming walls to prevent lateral ow of air passing around the tubes, a. box-like casing having side walls lying in the vertical planes of said iianges connected to the headers of said units, and a blower within said casing.

CLEM A. CHILDERS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 150,789 Smith May 12, 1874 865,199 Mennesson Sept. 3, 1907 1,208,790 Junkers Dec. 19, 1916 1,988,224 Wendel Jan. 15, 1935 2,160,980 Morton June 6, 1939 2,358,973 Hartwig Sept. 26, 1944 2,378,351 Young June 12, 1945 

